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Connecticut is host to the largest National Trails Day celebration in the nation, with 259 events happening Saturday and Sunday throughout the state.
Participants can Hike Redding’s longest “long” trail, Westway, which connects the open space of the town, Redding Land Trust, and Audubon Society. Hikers will gaze from the cliff at Warrups Rock, walk the spine of the Whaleback, skirt a wetland, and crisscross Blackman’s Brook. Expect a few steep spots and on-road segments on this 5-mile journey. The hike will be Saturday, June 1, from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Meet leaders Stuart Green and Jeremiah Ross promptly near 2 Charlie Hill Road by Marchant Road to spot cars and carpool to the Peaceable Street trailhead to begin the hike. It is sponsored by Redding Conservation Commission. Rain postpones to June 2 at 9 a.m. For questions and to pre-register, contact Stuart Green at 203-938-4020 or shgreen@optonline.net.
Looking for something a bit easier? An educational walk will be offered Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Devil’s Den Preserve in Weston. Take a 2.5-mile mushroom walk followed by a communal lunch and fungi identification session. Hikers should bring a notebook, extra pencils, a collecting basket with containers, field labels, a magnifying lens, and a whistle. Meet amateur field mycologist Zaac Chaves and co-leader Doris Kaye at the main parking lot at the end of Pent Road in Weston. The walk is sponsored by Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association. For questions and rain plan: contact Zaac Chaves at 203-571-8866 or zaacis@gmail.com.
On Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m. a family hike will be held at Huntington State Park in Redding. Bring the kids and friendly dogs for a 4-mile walk on some of the familiar and unfamiliar trails this lovely park has to offer. Park features include lakes, huge split rocks, pretty streams, and lookouts. Meet by the statues at the main entrance of the park on Sunset Hill Road, about a half-mile from the southern intersection with Route 58. Walk is sponsored by the CT Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. For questions, contact leader Eric Stones at 203-797-9175 or estones01@snet.net.
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